Duterte’s final position: He wants Road Board abolished, says Palace

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is firm in his stand to abolish the graft-ridden Road Board, his spokesman said Friday, citing the road user’s tax has been the milking cow of corrupt politicians.

The Senate and the House of Representatives have earlier approved the abolition of the Road Board but the lower chamber later moved to rescind it.

READ: Palace: Duterte to sign bill abolishing Road Board

Despite the stalemate between the Senate and the House, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the President wanted the corrupt-ridden agency abolished.

Panelo said he asked the President’s position on the issue when they met on Thursday night.

“I will quote him [in] exact words. He said: Day 1 I was already against this Road Users’ Tax because it is being used as a milking cow of corrupt politicians,” he said.

“So that’s the position of the President. He doesn’t like it. He wants it abolished,” he added.

House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. has earlier claimed that Duterte agreed to keep the Road board contrary to the statement of Panelo and Budget Secretary Diokno.

Andaya said he and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had a dinner with Duterte before the House rescinded the bill abolishing the Road Board but Panelo said the lawmaker may have “misunderstood” the President.

“It might be true that they had a meeting, but as I said earlier, he might have misunderstood the President,” he said.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier said he would submit to the Palace the Road Board abolition bill even without the signature of Arroyo.

“The problem is according to the House it wasn’t signed by Speaker Arroyo. But ES (Executive Secretary) was saying that that’s ministerial. Still, they can say ‘But we did not sign it.’ There may be a legal question on whether or not that is, from the point of view of the law, is indeed an enrolled bill ready for signing. So siguro, somebody will have to go to the courts,” Panelo said.

“If the President really wants to end this, he will sign it. And then they will go to the court. Those from the House, they may question it,” he added.

Asked if the President would sign the bill even without Arroyo’s signature, he said, “Most likely he will because if it’s only ministerial at the part of the Speaker.”

“Senator Sotto was explaining, and I tend to agree that since the House has already submitted to us, they have lost jurisdiction over the same. So they cannot be rescinding what they have already submitted to us. And we have already adopted their position,” he also said. /je